Moving On
by Fingersnaps
Summary: Tim reflects on his first meeting with the MCRT. This story follows on from Starting Out, and the trilogy based on events in 'Sub Rosa' will conclude with a one-shot from Gibbs' perspective.


4

**Moving On**

He drove south onto the interstate with a sense of relief, the worst of the city traffic was behind him and with luck he'd be back in Norfolk before dark. Lunch with Abby had been good, okay the food had been pretty ordinary, the company though had been excellent. Tim couldn't remember ever meeting anyone quite like Abby Sciuto, and he'd never imagined himself as the kind of person who would lose track of time like he had, luckily he'd used one of his vacation days for the visit so he wouldn't be in any kind of trouble however late he got back, just as long as he was on time for work in the morning. Getting to know Abby, and having her get to know a little bit about him had made the hours on the road time well spent, and he was more than happy with the prospect of making the same journey at the weekend.

Truth was, he'd enjoyed pretty much everything about his encounter with the MCRT, and would be more than willing to work with them again anytime. The case had been so intense, if he'd had time to think about the ramifications of failure he might not have been able to do what little he did to assist the team. A US Navy submarine could have been destroyed with the loss of every person on board; okay, he'd only been a small cog in the big wheel of the investigation, but he had made a contribution, and it felt so good when he knew everyone was safe.

He was well aware most cases wouldn't be of the same magnitude, yet for anyone involved in a crime, particularly one that came under the aegis of a major case team it would mean the world to them to have the case solved. Bringing closure to people who'd lost a loved one to violence, recovering an abducted son or daughter, helping to keep the country safe from terrorists…to be able to do such important work on a daily basis, it was exactly what he'd dreamed of when he chose a career in law enforcement.

Tim's only regret about the short time he'd spent with the team was that for much of it Gibbs and Agent Todd had been on, or under the high seas, although it was probably as well he hadn't been called on to join them on the sub. His seasickness was a source of embarrassment to him, and was yet another thing his dad used as an example of his unworthiness to bear the McGee name; the longer he could keep his affliction hidden from his NCIS colleagues, the better he'd feel.

They'd be great people to work with, intimidating maybe…definitely. From what Tim had seen of them, it seemed like Agents Gibbs and Todd had lots of confidence in their own abilities. Gibbs he'd heard about, there were so many stories…and Agent Todd, she'd stood with Gibbs against Captain Veitch and they'd got what they wanted, transport out to the _Philadelphia. _Tim would have liked to see that confrontation, from what he knew Veitch could be a real SOB, looked like he met his match in the Gibbs/Todd combination.

Given that he'd only seen the two of them for a little while, Tim was certain he wanted to work with them again, to prove his worth. He'd been quietly pleased he stood his ground when Gibbs tried to stare him down at the dock; wasn't the first time a strong man, well used to having his orders obeyed without question had attempted to intimidate him, and if he was lucky enough to work with the MCRT again, he doubted it would be the last.

Tim smiled as he joined the I-64, a couple of hours and he'd be home, wasn't the reason he was smiling though; the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to get to know these people, to work with them, learn from them. A woman whose job had been to protect the President of the United States, and a seasoned investigator who was also a former Gunnery Sergeant in the US Marines, ace sniper too from what he'd heard. Tim made a mental note to put in some extra hours on the shooting range, he was already a pretty good shot, had even done better than his dad the last time they'd been in competition, but he could be better, and if he wanted to join a major case team he'd need anything that meant he had a little something extra above and beyond what other agents could offer.

There was no doubt about it, they were people he could learn from, and if he ever got the chance to join the team, it wouldn't be a one-way street, maybe they'd be able to learn something from him too. He couldn't match them for field experience or investigative expertise, but it wouldn't be bragging to say that with computers he was streets ahead, and he was more than willing to share his skills. He was certain Gibbs wouldn't be receptive to learning about the cutting edge of information technology; if any agent screamed old school it was Gibbs. Agent Todd, he wasn't sure, but anyone who was prepared to make the dramatic career change she had, to learn a whole new skill set, she had to be open to new ideas.

As for Tony, the one member of the team he'd worked with the most, the self-confessed 'jock', would he be prepared to learn anything from a newly qualified case agent? Tim honestly wasn't sure, in the short time they'd worked together Tony had managed to surprise him more than once. Okay, right at the start he'd been predictable, getting Tim to stand guard at the scene when it wasn't strictly necessary, wanting to be called sir, behaviour that was pretty much what Tim would have expected of a senior agent from NCIS headquarters.

From then on things had taken a different turn, Tim had been surprised at the base personnel office when Tony was only too happy to let a 'newbie' ask a question, in fact he'd even complimented him on the relevance of the question. As for Tony's means of accessing Fox's place, that had almost taken Tim's breath away; just for a second he thought the rock was heading toward him, but before he was able to react the glass in the door was shattered and Tony was glibly explaining the difference between breaking and entering. It hadn't come as a shock after his display of throwing prowess to have Tony say he was a jock, but Tim had been surprised when Tony had accepted without question everything he had told him about the sarin and how it could be delivered, he'd been so accustomed to having most things he said questioned by figures in authority that he'd actually felt a warm glow when Tony took him at his word and acted on what he'd been told.

It had been good seeing them again today, even if Tony had been less than enthusiastic about his lunch date with Abby. Tim didn't mind the ribbing, he had to admit he didn't look like the kind of guy a Goth would find interesting, he smiled broadly as he remembered Tony's face when he told him about the 'tattoo', he hadn't had the time or the nerve to actually get one yet, but what Tony didn't know wouldn't hurt him, and who knew, if he and Abby got closer…

He was seeing her again at the weekend, and even the prospect of another seven hour round trip couldn't dim his enthusiasm. The rest of the team…if he could work with them again it would be just about the best learning experience he could think of, although he suspected some of Tony's teaching methods might be unorthodox, didn't matter, he didn't have to copy, what he had to do was watch and learn, and become his own man. He'd work hard, keep the Norfolk Office running smoothly, do the best he could with whatever he had to deal with, then if he was called on to work with the MCRT again he'd be ready to do the best job he possibly could, because working with Gibbs and his team, however brief the association had been had whetted his appetite. He wasn't ready to be a part of the team right now, he knew there was more growing and learning to do before he could take his place beside Gibbs, Agent Todd and Tony DiNozzo, but if he kept working, made sure he improved a little every day, he felt it deep inside, his time would come.

THE END


End file.
